Coupler for fluidically communicating a hose with a trench drain

Abstract

A fluidic coupler for fluidically communicating a hose with a trench drain in a support surface comprises a series of walls arranged to form a cavity and arranged for insertion into the trench drain, and a hose coupler supported on one of the walls for fluidically connecting a hose so that liquid discharged therefrom is released into the cavity. The cavity is open at the bottom of the fluidic coupler so as to release the liquid to the trench drain. The fluidic coupler includes stabilizing feet supported on opposite walls which are parallel to sidewalls of the trench drain. The feet include a pair of distinct feet located at spaced positions on a carrying one of the opposite walls, and on either side of the hose coupler.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for draining liquid from a vessel using a hose fluidically communicated therewith, the system comprising:
 a trench drain in a support surface for receiving the liquid conveyed by the hose, wherein the trench drain comprises:
 a channel arranged in a support material underlying the support surface, wherein the channel includes an upper portion defining a top of the trench drain arranged to be exposed at the support surface and a lower portion of the channel forming a base of the channel; 
 wherein the upper portion forms, at the top of the trench drain, a slot-shaped opening which is longitudinally elongated and defines an inlet for passage of the liquid into the trench drain; 
 wherein the lower portion has an interior which is enlarged in a transverse direction relative to the inlet; and 
 
 a fluidic coupler for fluidically communicating the hose with the trench drain, wherein the coupler comprises:
 front and rear walls supported in upstanding generally-parallel spaced-apart condition, wherein the front and rear walls have upper portions defining tops thereof, lower portions defining bottoms thereof opposite to said tops, and laterally opposite sides spanning from the tops to the bottoms of the front and rear walls; 
 wherein the lower portions of the front and rear walls are removably inserted through the slot-shaped opening of the trench drain and into the channel thereof in a working configuration of the fluidic coupler such that, in the working configuration, the bottoms of the front and rear walls are in the channel, below the slot-shaped opening, and the upper portions of the front and rear walls are located externally of and above the trench drain; 
 a pair of side walls connected to the front and rear walls in spaced-apart condition and spanning between the front and rear walls to define a cavity therebetween; 
 a hose coupler supported on the upper portion of the front wall in fluidic communication with the cavity, and configured for fluidic coupling with the hose, so as to pass liquid from the hose to the cavity; 
 wherein the cavity is open at the bottoms of the front and rear walls for fluidic communication with the channel in the working configuration so as to release the liquid received from the hose to the trench drain; and 
 a plurality of feet carried on the front and rear walls at spaced heights above the bottoms thereof and configured for resting on the top of the upper portion of the trench drain in the working configuration so as to support the hose coupler above and outside the trench drain; 
 wherein the plurality of feet include a pair of distinct feet carried on one of the front and rear walls, defining a carrier wall, in laterally spaced-apart relation on either side of the hose coupler; 
 wherein the plurality of feet comprise drain-engaging portions arranged to face and engage the top of the trench drain and projecting from a respective one of the front and rear walls outwardly from the front and rear walls, wherein the drain-engaging portions are disposed above the bottoms of the front and rear walls; and 
 wherein the hose coupler is disposed above the plurality of feet. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The coupler of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the pair of distinct feet has a cut-out in a distal end thereof, which is opposite to the carrier wall, to form a plurality of toes. 
     
     
       3. The coupler of  claim 1  wherein the pair of distinct feet are located at the laterally opposite sides of the carrier wall. 
     
     
       4. The coupler of  claim 1  wherein a distal end of at least one of the pair of distinct feet is spaced from the carrier wall by a distance at least two times greater than a distance between outer surfaces of the front and rear walls. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  wherein a peripheral edge of each of the pair of distinct feet, which defines a footprint thereof, is rounded. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1  wherein the lower portions of the front and rear walls are removably slidably inserted into the trench drain such that the coupler is slidably movable along the slot-shaped opening in a longitudinal direction relative to the trench drain. 
     
     
       7. A coupler for fluidically communicating a hose with a trench drain in a support surface, the coupler comprising:
 front and rear walls supported in upstanding generally-parallel spaced-apart condition, wherein the front and rear walls have upper portions defining tops thereof, lower portions defining bottoms thereof opposite to said tops, and laterally opposite sides spanning from the tops to the bottoms of the front and rear walls; 
 wherein the lower portions of the front and rear walls are configured for removable insertion into the trench drain in a working configuration of the fluidic coupler such that, in the working configuration, the upper portions of the front and rear walls are located externally of the trench drain; 
 a pair of side walls connected to the front and rear walls in spaced-apart condition and spanning between the front and rear walls to define a cavity therebetween; 
 a hose coupler supported on the upper portion of the front wall in fluidic communication with the cavity, and configured for fluidic coupling with the hose, so as to pass liquid from the hose to the cavity; 
 wherein the cavity is open at the bottoms of the front and rear walls for fluidic communication with the trench drain in the working configuration so as to release the liquid received from the hose to the trench drain; and 
 a plurality of feet carried on the front and rear walls at spaced heights above the bottoms thereof and configured for resting on a top of the trench drain in the working configuration so as to support the hose coupler above the trench drain; 
 wherein the plurality of feet include a pair of distinct feet carried on one of the front and rear walls, defining a carrier wall, in laterally spaced-apart relation on either side of the hose coupler; 
 wherein at least one of the pair of distinct feet has a cut-out in a distal end thereof, which is opposite to the carrier wall, to form a plurality of toes. 
 
     
     
       8. The coupler of  claim 7  wherein the pair of distinct feet are located at the laterally opposite sides of the carrier wall. 
     
     
       9. The coupler of  claim 7  wherein at least one of the pair of distinct feet comprises a drain-engaging portion arranged to face the top of the trench drain and projecting from the carrier wall to a distal end of said at least one of the pair of distinct feet with an underside configured to engage the top of the drain, wherein the distal end is spaced from the carrier wall by a distance at least two times greater than a distance between outer surfaces of the front and rear walls. 
     
     
       10. The coupler of  claim 7  wherein a peripheral edge of each of the pair of distinct feet, which defines a footprint thereof, is rounded.